Transom draft-gear.



C. T. WESTLAKE.

TRANSOM DRAFT GEAR.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 9, 1915.

Patented Sept. 5, 1916.

- 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 mmflar' Zia/1e; 7. Mafia/re .31 f?- C. T. WESTLAKE.

TRANSOM DRAFT GEAR.

APPLICATION FILED APR.9.1915.

l 1 96,9 1 7. Patented Sept. 5, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

CHARLES T. WESTLAKE, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO TRANSOM DRAFT GEAR COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

TRANSOM DRAFT-GEAR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept 5,191

Application filed April 9, 1915. Serial N 0. 20,176.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES T. WEST- LAKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Transom Draft-Gear, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, su'ch as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains, to make and use the 'same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which My invention relates generally to railway" car construction and more particularly to a transom draft gear of the friction type, the principal object of my invention being to generally improve upon'the construction of the present types of transom draft gears,

and to provide a comparatively simple in-' expensive construction which can be easily and quickly assembled orxtaken a art, and which in service will insure a uni orm distribution of the bufling and pulling strains through the transom or bolster to the underframe with which the same is associated.

Further objects of my invention are to construct a transom draft gear which is compact, particularly in transverse dimensions, thereby permitting. it to be advantageously' utilized in connection with underframes where the sill members are locatedcomparatively close together; to provide a draft gear with which may be readily combined a friction element of; ordinary construction, and to form in the bolster with which the draft gear is associated a follower block pocket, the end walls of which'fform stops to limit the movement of the follower block as the draft gear moves backward and forward under pulling and bufling strains.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, my invention consists-in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts, hereinafter'more-fully described, claimed and shown in the -a'ccompanying drawings, inwhich- Figure -1,.1s a plan. View ofmy improved draft gear, the same being combined with a car transom or bodybolster. Fig. 2 is a front elevational.fv 1ew' of the transom or body bolster of, my improved draft gear associated therewith and with the, draw-bar extenslon in vertical section. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken approximately on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4; is a vertical section taken approximately on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken approximately on the line 55 of Fig. .4. j

In the accompanying drawings, '1 have shown the draft gear-associated with a cast metal transom or bolster, the same comprising a vertically disposed web 10, top plate 11 and bottom plate 12, the latter being provided with the usual center bearing 13.

.F0 ed through the central portion of the we 10 is an opening 14 which receives the draft gear and arranged at the sides of thls opening are transversely disposed plates 15 whlch serve as points of attachment for the center sills 16, which latter extend through suitable openings 17 in the web 10 at the sides of the center opening 14.

Formed integral with the central portion of'the top plate 11 and extending longitudinally thereof is a housing 18, the same in closing a downwardly opening pocket 19 which receives the upper portion of a fol-. lower plate 20. The lower portion of this plate occupies a longitudinally disposed pocket 21, the same being formed in the bottom plate 12 between the webs 15. The draw-bar extension 22 forming. a part of my improved draft gear. is preferably in the form of an elongated hollow member, square 1n cross section. The forward end of this extension is provided with a pocket 23 which is adapted to receive the rear end of samebeing formed in 'the front portions. of

the transversely disposed webs 15. The end portionsof this key also'pass through longitudinally disposed slots 16 which are formed in the webs of the center sills 16, and seated in the outer ends of said keyare cotters or like key retaining devices. These slots 16 are greater in length than the width of the key, thus permitting said key to move forward for a limited distance when the.

device is subjected to pulling strains. will be understood that the notches 27 are open at their'forward ends, and further that r the slots 25 are greater in length than the width of key 27 and thus said key is free to move forwardly with respect to webs 15 and likewise extension 22 can move rearwardly for a limited distance independently of said key 26.

with a plunger 32 and when said device is vproperly associated with the draft gear, the rear end of said cylinder bears against plate 30, and the forward end of the plunger bears directly against the rear face of follower block 20. I

The forward ends of the legs 22 of the yoke are provided with suitable openings v33 which receive the key 26 and formed on or fixed to the rear portions of said legs are vertically disposed ribs or stop lugs 34:, the same being adapted to engage the rear ends of webs 15, thereby serving as stops to limit the movementvof the yoke as it is pulled forward under pulling strains.

In assembling the parts of my improyed draft gear, follower block 20 is entered from the rear of the bolster and by tilting said block or shifting it into an inclined posi* tion as shown by'dotted lines in Fig. 4:, it can'be manipulated so that its lower portion can be dropped into the pocket 21 and when so positioned, the upper portion of said block I bears against the inner face of the front wall of housing 18. The yoke and friction cylinder arenow entered from the rear, after which the rear end of extension 22 is positioned between the forward ends of the legs .of the yoke and allparts' are united by the, insertion of key 26 through slots 25, openings 33 and notches 'Buflingstrains' imparted to extension 22 haretransmitted through follower block 20 7 under bufiing strains'is limitedand stopped by theyengagementof therear face of folto plunger 32' in cylinder 31, which latter bears against the, rear end of the yoke, and the latter being held against rearward movement by. key 26, the end portions" of which bear in notches-'27.

, The rearward movement of the extension I lower block 20 against the faces on'the" body bolster at the rear ends'of pockets 19 and" '21, and which; actiontakesplace at thesame time the forward ends of; slots 25 bear against the front side of key 26. Under pulling. strains, extension 22 pulls yoke 28 through the bolster.- fconnected by key 26, and as a result of such forwardly forthe reason that said'parts are side of key 26 comes in contact with the ends of the slots 16*? inthe webs of center sills 16.

The type of draft gear herein shown and described is particularly adapted for use on freight cars, although with slight structural changes, it can be advantageously utilized with all types of cars.

A transom draft gear of my improved I construction is comparatiyely simple, com-/ prises a minimum number of parts, can be easily and cheaply manufactured, is very compact, can be readily assembled or taken apart, and is very effective in transmitting to the transom and under-frame all pulling and buffing strains to which the device is subjected while in service.

It will be readily understood that minor changes in the size, form and construction of the various parts of my improved transom draft gear can be made and substituted for those herein shown and described, without departing from the spirit of my invention, the scope of which is set forth in the appended claims.

I I claim:

- 1. The combination with a bolster and sills passing therethrough, which bolster is provided with a draft gear opening, of a drawbar, a yoke connected thereto, which yokepasses through thedra-ft gear openin in the body bolster, ayieldin'g resistance ele-' ment carried by said yoke, a follower block interposed between the yielding resistance element and the end of the drawbar, means onthe bolster for limiting the movement of the follower block, and a'key seated in the yoke and passing through openings formed in the/drawbar and the sills. I

2. The combination with a bolster and sills passing therethrough, which bolster is providedwith a draft gear 'opening,of a

drawbar, a yoke connected thereto, which yoke passes through the draft gear opening in the body bolster, a yielding resistance element carried by said yoke, a follower block interposed between the yielding resistance element and theend of the drawbar, means on the bolster for limiting the movement of the follower block, a key seated in the yoke and passing through openings formed in the drawbar and thesills, and means'on the yoke for limiting its forward movement 3. -The combination with a transom prodraft gear occupying the opening in said transom; a follower block forming'a part of said draft gear, the upper and lower ends of which block are positioned in said pockets, V

and-means for limiting the backward and forward movement-of the draft gear with respect to the bolster. t 4 4. The combination with a bolster having a series of openings, of a draft gear occupying one of said openings, sills occupying the other openings, said sills being provided with longitudinally disposed slots, a drawbar, akey passing through said drawbar, the yoke and the openings in said sills, a followerblock forming a part of the draft gear, and pairs of shoulders formed on the bolster above and below the draft gearo ening for engaging the top and bottom 0 the follower block to limit the movement thereof in both directions. 4

5. The combination with a body bolster, having a draft gear opening, of a draw-bar, a yoke connected thereto, a yielding resistance element carried by the yoke, a' ollower block interposed between the yielding resistance element and the draw-bar, means on the body bolster for limiting the movement of the follower block in both directions, and

means for limiting the forwa d movement provided with a draft gear opening, a

yoke positioned in'said opening, a draw-bar the rear end of which is positioned in sai openin a key forming a connection between the yo efand. draw-bar, which key bears against the body bolster, a yielding resistance element carried by the yoke, a follower block interposed between the yielding resistance element and the'draw-bar, means on of said yoke .in the opposite direction, a

yielding resistance element carried by the yoke, a follower block interposed between the yielding resistance element and the draw bar, and means on'the transom .for limiting the movement of the follower block in both directions.-

9. The combination with a' transom draft gear comprising a draw-bar, a yoke connected thereto, a yielding resistance element in the yoke, and a single follower block interposed between the draw-bar and the yielding resistance element, of a transom provided with an opening adapted to receive said draft gear, said transom being provided with pockets above and below the'draft gear opening and which pockets receive parts ofmeans on the bolster for limiting 'themovethe "follower block.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my si ature in the presence of two witnesses, this 23rd da I of March, 1915.

Witnesses:

HAL C. Bmvnm, O'rro V. Mme.

HARLES T. WESTLAKE. 

